Examining the prevalence and determinants of Antenatal care utilization in Somalia: insights from the 2020 SOMALIA demographic and health survey

Background Globally, maternal mortality and morbidity pose the greatest challenge to human development. Almost all of maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Maternal mortality rate declined by 45%from 380 to 210 deaths per 100,000 live births between 1990 and 2013 in the world. First, the finished Millennium Development Goal Agenda 5 targeted to reduce maternal deaths by 75%between 2000 and 2015. Next, Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 sets a specific target of MMR reduction below 70 by 2030 in the world. Most of these maternal deaths occur due to causes directly related to pregnancy. Fortunately, these maternal deaths can be prevented through the provision of antenatal care and institutional-based delivery services Method Secondary data was collected on SDHS2020.encompassing a sample of 5,235 women aged 15–49 years. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were employed to identify significant predictors of ANC utilization. Adjusted odds ratio with 95%confidence interval was computed, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered as a statistically significant level for identification of association. Result The findings indicate that 63.67%of women did not utilize ANC services, with key determinants including maternal age, educational level, wealth index, media exposure, and the place of delivery. Women with higher education and those from wealthier households demonstrated significantly higher rates of ANC utilization, while rural and nomadic populations faced substantial barriers due to cultural norms and limited access to healthcare facilities. Conclusion The study highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve ANC utilization in Somalia, focusing on enhancing healthcare accessibility, strengthening health infrastructure, and promoting maternal education. Addressing these disparities is crucial for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes in the region.